Finlay...........who Is He?

dinjo

hey guys, i've been glancing at smackdown the last few weeks and im seeing video's about some irish fella named "Finlay".... who is he? he is debuting on smackdown tomorrow night and im just wondering if anybody can fill me in on any of his details, (eg) where has he poped up from, what kind of wrestler is he, im delighted to see an irish superstar! any idea's asto whether he will be a heel or a face? im looking for any information really!!!

Thanks !

Johnmb

It's Dave "Fit" Finlay. He used to wrestle many eons ago on UTVs Saturday afternoon wrestling (He had black hair then). He was in the WCW in the US. A gritty brawler is the best way to describe his style, and a genuinely tough guy. He also trains wrestlers. He has been in the WWE for quite a while, as a road agent. He gets lots of credit from the women as he is the main trainer for their division. This seems to be a reward for him, one last hurrah (he's no spring chicken).

Charlie

Finlay or better known as Fit Finlay is a veteran wrestler form Belfast. Before his recent appearences on smackdown he was working as trainer and a booking agent for the divas's matches. Prior to that he worked in wcw where he was a lower midcard wrestler. he mainly competed for the hardcore tiltle, I guess you could of compared him in stature to someone like Hardcore Holly. I believe that he also had stints as one of the trainers in wcw's infamous power plant. This was essentilaly a training facility wcw used to churn out wtrestlers, one of whcih was Bill Goldberg.

Fozzy

One of the things that surprises me about this though is that he's still got his career-ending injury. In WCW, he went through a cheap table which severed the nerves in his leg, and he's got no feeling below one of his knees. Tough bastard though! I'm reading Regal's book at the moment, he said one time in WCW, the two of them were scheduled to have a 30 minute time-limit draw. Right from the start they start beatin the **** out of each other, and Regal got a broken nose, broken cheekbone and black eye within a few minutes. So whoever was in charge decided they'd better send out some guys to stop the match by interference. So when they come out, Finlay starts beatin the **** out of them too! Regal said the look on one lad's face as Finlay was comin for him was priceless

You should easily recognise him though. For the last 3 or so years, nearly every time there's been an "altercation" in the ring or backstage, it's almost always Finlay and Johnny Ace breaking it up

And for the record, Regal says that Finlay was his best ever opponent. Ahead of Benoit. I've never seen Regal vs Finlay, but I've seen a few Regal vs Benoit, every one of them has been 5 star matches

Stalfos

That would be a cool story line if they have it i think. Regal Vs Finlay, most likely an Irish Vs English thing. WWE have never been ones to stray away from stereotypes and would make a good brawl imo. Probably will happen on Velocity though as i don't see Finlay lasting to long on Smackdown.

DoctorEdgeWild

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/f/fit-finlay.html

There's some more info on Finlay. He is some wrestler but it remains to be seen if his style will impress in the very watered down wrestling of the WWE.

He is also the guy who, along with Ricky Steamboat, gave the IwW guys their WWE tryout last year.

A match between him and Regal would be awesome but would anyone in the crowd even understand what they were doing in the ring? Sadly, they probably wouldn't. maybe a Burchill/Finlay feud would elevate Burchill a bit which would be excellent.

Vince135792003

I disagree while not all the crowd would buy it I think alot would. Did n't Benoit and Regal have a very unWWE, ultra physical match on Velocity a few times and that got over a great deal. So not everyone would appreciate it but I think alot still would.
I don't want to give anything away but from what I at least read, in his first match it did n't sound watered down.

Mr.Nice Guy

Fozzy wrote:

One of the things that surprises me about this though is that he's still got his career-ending injury. In WCW, he went through a cheap table which severed the nerves in his leg, and he's got no feeling below one of his knees. Tough bastard though! I'm reading Regal's book at the moment, he said one time in WCW, the two of them were scheduled to have a 30 minute time-limit draw. Right from the start they start beatin the **** out of each other, and Regal got a broken nose, broken cheekbone and black eye within a few minutes. So whoever was in charge decided they'd better send out some guys to stop the match by interference. So when they come out, Finlay starts beatin the **** out of them too! Regal said the look on one lad's face as Finlay was comin for him was priceless

I think I watched that very match on that Youtube site recently. Finlay had long hair though and a moustache. It was a very physical match alright but the commentary was dire.

Ph3n0m

Vince135792003 wrote:

I disagree while not all the crowd would buy it I think alot would. Did n't Benoit and Regal have a very unWWE, ultra physical match on Velocity a few times and that got over a great deal. So not everyone would appreciate it but I think alot still would.
I don't want to give anything away but from what I at least read, in his first match it did n't sound watered down.

quite true, that Benoit/Regal match was some good olf fashioned wrestling brutality at its best - a must for serious old school fans - we are talking legitemate pain - so say wrestling wwell before the 80s. Benoit and Regal worked stiff(ish) with each other, so for me that added to the realism of the match - plus one of them did bust themselves open either taking or recieving a headbutt

Stalfos

I'd say it might work cause unlike RAW, WWE doesnt really mind which generation Smackdown is appealing too.

DoctorEdgeWild

While people like us may appreciate the Regal/Benoit match, don't forget - It was on Velocity! WWE don't care about smarter fans - Hence the fact that Cena held the title for so long (sales of spinner belts to kids). The majority of smart fan will buy in the ppv's regardless, Finlay will not turn any new kids into WWE fans sadly. They prefer seeing Rey Mysterio doing a 619 than a 'real' wrestler like Finlay.

Stalfos

His debut was ok but the fact they put him against Matt Hardy and made him a heel sux.

triple h

as far as i know he was big in the wcw and was one the 2nd most popular guys after booker T. but he got an injury in 1999 and was told never to step into the ring again. i would like to stress i am not 100% certain of this. i will go (and i sugest you too) to wwe.com and read about him.

Charlie

triple h wrote:

as far as i know he was big in the wcw and was one the 2nd most popular guys after booker T. but he got an injury in 1999 and was told never to step into the ring again. i would like to stress i am not 100% certain of this. i will go (and i sugest you too) to wwe.com and read about him.

If you're talking "popular" with the boys in tha back then maybe so. But fan wise, he would never have been more popular than guys like sting, goldberg, flair, bret, to name a few.

D-FENS

His debut was ok, predictable brawling style, the finish was a bit dull, I agree with Finlay, a DQ for that? Not because it was a break of the rules, but because they could have thought of something better for him to be DQ’ed with. But i suppose theres time to develop his character more.
I was hoping he'd use the Tombstone piledriver he gave Johnny Nitro in the Point a couple of years, I honestly thought that was the best one I’ve ever seen, and you can include Undertaker, Jane and Don Muraco in that.
.

Lita Forever

I wouldn't hold my breath on him using the Tombstone on TV, at least not while Taker is still around.

As for his debut, eh it was okay. Nothing special. But it's unfair to judge anyone on one match. The possible feud with Regal could be interesting, if it's handled correctly.

Ph3n0m

Lita Forever wrote:

I wouldn't hold my breath on him using the Tombstone on TV, at least not while Taker is still around.

As for his debut, eh it was okay. Nothing special. But it's unfair to judge anyone on one match. The possible feud with Regal could be interesting, if it's handled correctly.

correct - the tombstone is Kane/Undertaker's move and it is only ever brought back when either character has to be make the final exclamation point in a feud/etc. So in that respect, if Finlay is allowed use it, it wont be as a regular offense - since all moves that compress the vertebrae (piledrivers, etc) are unofficially banned in the ring

D-FENS

Lita Forever wrote:

I wouldn't hold my breath on him using the Tombstone on TV, at least not while Taker is still around.

True, pity though...

Imagaine they put him against Regal or Burchall the next time SM tours here, the crowd reaction would be interesting to say the least...

oblian

Did anyone else think it was a bit silly he kept on screamin "come on Ireland"?also when he was wrestlin before did he wear a green get up like that or was that wwe stereotypical stuff?also tazz said somethin along the lines of: "finlay is so tough due to all the battles during the "problems" in northern Ireland"???what next one of the storylines is some semtex is found in a locker??!:rolleyes:

Brow

A report of a smackdown taping said he used the musclebuster as his finisher. If its the same as Joes and Kid Kash's its a pretty sweet finisher they have given him.

J.R.HARTLEY

het brow, how does the musclebuster go then?

Brow

Its like you set someone up for a suplex imagine them in a vertical position. Now imagine the victim has their legs hooked as well. The guy applying the move then drops either straight down on to their ass applying force to the neck (ie Kid Kash version the Bankruptcy) or they fall backwards landing like a suplex (ie Samoa Joes Musclebuster).

Its hard to describe but here's picture of Joe setting it up. He pretty much falls backwards. Kash used to straight drop to his knees landing a huge impact on the neck in ECW. Dangerous move

irishcrazyhorse

Storm recently said that he would rather take a 1000 piledrivers of finlay than 1 neck breakers off most wrestlers out there!
Finlay is regarded as one of the most sound wrestlers out there and is repected for it,same way Regal is loved by real wrestling fans but not by the general public

J.R.HARTLEY

Brow wrote:

Its like you set someone up for a suplex imagine them in a vertical position. Now imagine the victim has their legs hooked as well. The guy applying the move then drops either straight down on to their ass applying force to the neck (ie Kid Kash version the Bankruptcy) or they fall backwards landing like a suplex (ie Samoa Joes Musclebuster).

Its hard to describe but here's picture of Joe setting it up. He pretty much falls backwards. Kash used to straight drop to his knees landing a huge impact on the neck in ECW. Dangerous move

alright cool, i get a good idea, thanks